Follow-up to the previous post, that being the one about the fever.

So I thought I should provide a little more information, because I seem to have terrified the pants off of some of you. And then you mailed me your pants, just to prove how literal you were. You are a bunch of odd ducks, aren't you?

Anyway, Henry has long been prone to high fevers, and 104-105 has become more or less standard for when he's really, truly sick. Which is why I did not rush him to the ER when his fever reached that number. Also, once he gets a little ibuprofen or acetaminophen in him, his temperature lowers within minutes, so even though his fever was 106 in the middle of the night, I knew it wouldn't last.

The other reason his sickness was not more worrying is that he was chipper and well-tempered. Prone to falling asleep on tables, sure, but otherwise relatively normal. This was in stark contrast to the last time his fever reached elevated levels, when he insisted that my face was covered in sparkly stickers and then tried to remove my chin with his pointy little fingernails.

And finally, I do not think his temperature was actually 111. Our last ear thermometer was so inaccurate that we purchased a high-end swiping-across-the-forehead model that promised stunning accuracy ; so far it's been as flighty and inconsistent as the last one. The advantage to this kind is that it takes a temperature within two seconds, and I don't have to wake him. The disadvantage is that it's all over the place and scares the crap out of me. So his temperature was probably a few degrees lower than 111, but still, I think we can all agree that that's awfully high.

The ER staff instructed me to buy an oral thermometer, which I did, and it read his temperature as 97.3 when he clearly still had a high fever, so I'm at a loss. Anyone have a foolproof thermometer to recommend?

Comments

[Jennifer]

I have had the same problem, with pretty much the same set of purchases involved. I'm interested to see the answer. So far, the only truly reliable temps I've taken from my daughter were in her infant days using a very impolite method. Now that she's five, I'm reluctant to be so impolite again.

[Bad Mummy]

I love my Accu-Touch forehead thermometer. It's been accurate (so far) and I can take The Mook's temp while she's sleeping.

[hi kooky]

My boys are 6 and 7, and I use a cheap old $10 Vicks digital thermometer from Target. It's pretty accurate, although it does take forever and a day to get the reading. My experience is the faster the thermometer, the less accurate... Neither of my kids can hold it under their tongues correctly, so I still take their temp under the arm, then add 1 degree (that's the underarm formula). Hope that helps!

[ashley]

No recommendation but was just wondering if running a high fever when sick is a symptom of anything else?

My son always runs a very high temp when ill and he also gets fevers very suddenly and mysteriously while acting competely normal otherwise.

[bessa]

Up. The. Butt.

Sorry, but its true. It is accurate.

[Poppy Buxom]

I have one of those stick-it-in-the-ear thermometers, and it's a dirty liar. Either that or we're a family of mutants whose temperatures rarely exceed 95 degrees. I wish my bathroom scale were as consistent in measuring low.

Mostly I go by the my-lips-on-the-forehead method. If my lips think my child's forehead is warm, he or she has a fever. Out comes the lying in-the-ear thermometer, and if it tells me they're 98.6, I know they have at least a couple of degrees of fever.

This seems to work for me, but I don't have a Henry on my hands. Given that scary HI reading, you're totally justified in buying an digital thermometer from a medical supply store.

[Megsie]

I am hoping that the thermometer police are not reading this...I KEPT a mercury thermometer... it seems to work...shhhh...don't tell!

[heidi]

I have given up taking the children's temperatures for this very reason. We have gone through about 3 or 4 different types over the years and other than the in the butt method - NONE were accurate. The youngest is 8 so the in the butt is not going to happen. So I gave up. I use my wrist. If they are flaming I dose them. If it does come down we go to the doctor's. Also, the way the act has a lot to do with it too. My kids aren't big with the fevers though. More often than not they can have a raging case of strep throat and no fever.

[LPC]

So glad to hear he is OK. I too have been worried, but in a lurker kind of way.

[Angela]

I usually don't bother taking my kids' temps for exactly that reason. "Lips to forehead" seems to work for me. My ped office can't stand that I do that, but they always have a fever when I say they do. Thermometers are just so inaccurate. If they're acting fine, we generally don't worry. And you can tell when the fever gets high, they wilt. Just like flowers.

Glad to hear that Henry's OK. Fevers suck.

[The Casual Perfectionist]

Unfortunately, the only thermometer that gives a good reading here goes in the other end.

We have one of those forehead super-fancy ones, too...and it varies so wildly that I hate it. My husband thinks it should work, so he sits there and swipes it 10+ times, hoping for a consistent reading. Personally, I don't have the patience to put all the readings into the proper spreadsheet. ;)

[Maria]

I have yet to experience an accurate thermometer, ear, forehead, armpit, sublingual. I have not subjected myself or my child to rectal temp-taking. If she's got a fever I can tell, and I can't see why knowing the exact number does much except freak me out. I'm lucky because she's a kid who displays clear signs at each level of feverishness so if she has to go to the ER I can pretty much tell. At least, I could that once.

[Jill]

I know this one! When taking your temperature orally, make sure the thermometer is in the very back under the tongue, slightly to the side (not under the tongue in the middle, which always gives low temps). I know there's a chart somewhere online showing the correct placement. My husband was very sick recently and he measured his temp at 97.5, but I told him to adjust the placement, it went up to 103.

[Jen]

We bought a $30 temperal (forehead) thermometer at Walgreens a couple of years ago and it's fabulous. Soon after we bought it, I realized it's the same one our peditrician's office uses. I love it because you can use it while they are sleeping and they don't wake up. It just takes a couple of seconds, so I run it two or three times and it's usually within a few tenths of each other - I feel like it's fairly accurate. Good luck and hope he's feeling better!!!

(Here's the one we have: http://www.exergen.com/medical/TAT/tatconsumerpage.htm )

[Nutmeg]

My husband is an ID doctor. We have a kid who is prone to high fevers. This is genetic. My husband used to get high fevers and my nephews often toss out 105's like it's no big deal. If my son has a mild cold his fever is 103 and if he's really sick it's 105.

Thermometer? Well for kids under four an axial temperature with a digital thermometer is plenty accurate. Then under the tongue properly placed is plenty accurate. I personally was never able to keep a thermometer under my tongue properly, I think a severe overbite helped with that. I always had to hold it as far back and to the middle as possible and my mom would stand over me telling me it wasn't IN FAR ENOUGH. Unfortunately for me, I almost never run a true fever, even when I feel truly awful, and could never get sent home from school.

Alice, I'm so glad Henry is okay. When my 2 year old had his first 105.5 fever, which was brought down to 104.5 for about 30 minutes with antipyretics and then started climbing again and he was SCREAMING, I was terrified. So, your story really did terrify me if only because I see this as my future and, as calm as I am about his illnesses, I'm not sure how calm I'll be with a fever over 106. Good luck! Hope all remain well!

[beyond]

are mercury thermometers forbidden in this country? i was not aware of that. i guess europeans just like living on the edge. they're the most accurate (the mercury thermometers, not the europeans). (and a mercury thermometer up the butt is the most accurate. tmi, sorry)

[Cheryl]

the most accurate one I have is a fertility thermometer that beeps consistently while taking the temp so you know it's placed correctly. It's pinky/purple and is BD brand. HTH!

[Paula]

My daughter also runs very high fevers when she is sick. I used to think that it was because she does have a disability...glad to know that high temps is becoming more of a norm...I guess. :) She is eight now and I use a digital, oral thermometer until she starts getting real high fevers AND more listless. Then I move to rectal temps. She doesn't appreciate it, but it is the only true temp and doctors/nurses seem to have more of an understanding when you say the temperature is 107 and was taken rectally.

[Melissa]

We have a Safety 1st ear one and I haven't had any complaints about it. We spent around $30 on it. We get consistent readings, we usually take it a couple times just to be sure. My youngest had had a temp of 106 one day and I drove straight to the Dr.'s office and they checked it there and it was 107, so either ours was a degree off or it went up a degree in 15 minutes. So I consider it accurate. I'm glad Henry is feeling better.

[caron]

In September, we took our 6-day old baby to the ER with a fever. The nurses there swear by the 3M Tempa-DOT thermometers. They gave us one to take home.

They are supposed to be single use, but she said we could use it over and over.

Linky: http://tinyurl.com/Tempa-DOT

[victoria]

I don't have any advice, but just wanted to say that I really felt for you. I am sorry you went through such a terrifying experience and I am glad Henry is ok.

[sevedra]

I can't help. I was hoping to find a good thermometer answer here myself. Up the bum is not a good answer at my house, since my kids are big now (7, 9 & 15).If it is any help at all, I ran very high temps as a small child too and I turned out just fine. That could be subjective though. But seriuosly, the doctors never found a reason for the temps. And back then, they would put your kids in a bed of ICE to lower the temp. Be thankful those days are over.

[JRM]

I don't have children so can't help, but am glad it seems to have passed.

Poor little guy, just glad he didn't spontaneously combust.

[alice]

A fever needs to be above 107 and stay up there for a while before it causes brain damage, actually.

[WendyPinNJ]

Thermometer? Tried and true old-fashioned mercury. Although I think they are near impossible to find. I guess there's always the internet.

And, BTW, I figured you were using one of those thermometers. Frustratingly inaccurate at best.